Opinion: NYS Proposed Minimum Wage Hike Threatens People with IDD & Field

Bravo Laura Kennedy, president of NYSARC, Inc., and Steven Kroll, its executive director, for this op-ed in Albany Times Union.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed $15 minimum wage contains a serious flaw that threatens the financial viability of an entire field of caregivers and the people and families those caregivers support.While the governor has appropriately decided that New York needs to champion the rights of hard-working, low-income wage earners by requiring a higher minimum wage, he has not provided any funding for the many not-for-profit agencies that depend almost completely on the state for their funding. Among the 2.3 million workers who stand to benefit from a minimum wage increase are more than 100,000 workers who provide support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and neurological impairments. No funding is provided for this increase.

Cuomo Budget Plan Excludes Minimum Wage for Human Service Workers

A gradual minimum wage increase to $15 an hour is not fully funded for health care and human services workers in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget.
The lack of funding is likely to become an issue as the budget moves forward in the Legislature, where some Senate Republicans have expressed concern about the potential effects of a higher minimum wage on businesses and non-profits. Cuomo's budget does include funding for a phased-in higher minimum wage for state and SUNY workers.

Justice Center Records Raise Questions

ALBANY, N.Y.  — The agency responsible for protecting those with special needs declined to investigate most of the nearly 1,400 deaths of developmentally disabled people in state care in the past two years, leaving the majority of investigations to the caretaker facilities themselves, according to newly released records.

An advocate who sought the documents' release under the state's open-records law said they indicate that the Justice Center, established more than two years ago by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be the primary investigative agency for possible cases of abuse and neglect in state care, is simply not doing its job.

Opinion: NYS Ignoring Challenges

The field of developmental disabilities in New York state is confronted with massive challenges seemingly hitting us one after the other and, because of this, supports for people and their families have begun to erode.

One issue is the development of new residential opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, which is lagging far behind the increased demand, particularly for adults who have been living at home for years, now with aging parents who are coping with health problems of their own. What happens to these individuals when the elderly parent is no longer able to provide adequate support to ensure safety and well-being? Additional residential development is critical and needs to be funded in the 2016-2017 budget.

NYS Urged to Increase Funding

Families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their advocates are urging Gov. Cuomo and state legislators to include adequate funding in the state budget to meet the need for support and services for that population.
Chapters of NYSARC Inc., a statewide organization supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, are lobbying to raise public awareness of difficulties families already encounter when trying to access services.

Bills Delivered to Cuomo

Interesting item from the Healthcare Association of New York State.

The New York State legislative activity has resumed as the Legislature this week delivered a package of nearly 90 bills to the Governor for consideration.  Following action on this package of legislation, there will be 138 additional bills that still require the Governor’s approval or veto before the end of the calendar year. 

The package of bills sent to the Governor this week includes several healthcare-related proposals, including four bills related to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), one related to Office of Mental Health (OMH), a drug disposal demonstration program, and two bills related to the use of accelerated death benefits:

Nonprofit Law Seeks to Cut Red Tape

A new law signed by New York Gov.Andrew Cuomo should make operations easier and less onerous for nonprofit organizations, while allowing for improved governance.

The Nonprofit Revitalization Act of 2013 was designed by a coalition of nonprofit leaders, attorneys and a bipartisan group of legislators from across the state. It is the first major overhaul of nonprofit law in more than 40 years.